72 hr shutdown???

[riverrat]

leo your attitude is that of a lot of o/os that is what they want us to keep thinking. Until that attitude changes I agree it will do no good but sooner or later it will finally sink in that ooida, ata our elected officals nor anyone else is going to lift one finger to help us. we are going to have to help ourselves, and hopefully attitudes will change before its too late doing nothing and letting others dictate what will be is what has caused this mess in the first place

 

[hedgehog]

If you're going to "shutdown/stike", you better have a skill to withold from those that need your services.

Unfortunately, we do not have that skill. Anybody can drive a van/truck, etc., etc.,

This isn't brain surgery. It's holding on to a steering wheel.

Sad but true.

 

[davekc]

While I am a member of OOIDA, I am a realist and clearly see their limitations. They do wonderful things but at even triple their current membership, they can do little.
As mentioned, when either there is a collective effort from the transportation industry or John Q Public starts getting involved, only then will you start to see some type of reform.
When OOIDA, ATA, and other groups whether unions or otherwise constantly disagree or have different motives, nothing from them will be of value with regards to fuel legislation. Not one group by itself carries enough political clout to have any effect.
Maybe if there was a collective effort, it might be worth something. The problem has to get bad enough to effect everyone. Not just a few.
For those that may be in doubt, just look at the current federal regulations or state laws. They are in general designed for the generation of revenue. This is what these groups have done for us working independently.
Maybe it is time they all sit at the same table for a change?

Davekc
owner
21 years

 

[riverrat]

here, here davekc at least someone that has a grasp of the situation

 

[greg334]

I am going to repeat what I said.

Look it is simple, any strike will hurt us. This is not the 1970’s and we ain’t the teamsters. Companies are unforgiving with some issues and outside of regular trucking; they depend on us to move things when they need to move them. Messing with any type of strike will simply kill it for us. I know, I fired enough companies for stupid stuff and they never worked for us again and I was forgiving at times. As I read in the other FSC thread that someone thinks that striking will not harm others down the line, look at $20K of a loss a minute on some of these automotive lines, do you think that the auto companies will tolerate any losses and have their people idle? No way. Believe me freight will move with or without us.

AND

We lack solidarity within our own industry to have any collective bargaining, etc… joining OOIDA and other organizations will help you as an individual and as a group and is the closest that we will ever get to that badly needed solidarity. The problem is that a lot of people don’t view this as a profession and a business but rather a way to make money.

In addition --

What I mean about a way to make money in my last statement is that anyone can actually do this job; it does not require a degree or special knowledge. It requires patients and a professional attitude which makes or breaks someone, all of you experienced longtime expediters know this and this is why you are still in the business. Companies of course want to have the best people working for them and do find and retain them but they may hire 15 to find only one or two that are really good and make the company look good. With that said anyone can do this job, period. And all these companies know it. I think that hedgehog said it clearly and to the point.

I agree with davekc, ‘The problem has to get bad enough to effect everyone. Not just a few.’ Yep this is what I am trying to say about solidarity (I can’t find a better word, any suggestions?) and getting it together.

 

[riverrat]

ok greg, since we know detroit or anyone else will raise rates and the mad mothers will not rest till we are down to 8 hrs a day and living expenses are going to do nothing but keep rising because all these people got us by the short hairs lets use fuel as an indicater what in your opinion will the price have to be before [and I realize that most companys are paying at leasty a partial surcharge now that partially offsets the increase,only partly]is gets so bad that people will finally wake up and see what they are doing to us $3.00,$4.00, $5.00 or more???? well look out its a comeing,and to the comment about being a steering wheel holder, I am a businessman, mechanic,bookkeeper,mediator,customer service rep,and a host of other things, holding the steering wheel is only a part actually small part of it unfortunatly it is the only part that pays. I have spent the last 4 days reading, listening, and learning what i should have been doing all along but like everyone else I let the goverment tell me what was best for me and let it go thinking it will work out. the only thing that is working out is people are getting cheap freight rates and our expense that is orgionally what I was wanting to find out is where the breaking point is.

 

[davekc]

riverrat wrote;
the only thing that is working out is people are getting cheap freight rates and our expense that is orgionally what I was wanting to find out is where the breaking point is.
=======================================================

Economists in general are using 3 percent of personal net income as the breaking point. As of Monday, it was at 2.8 percent. After the hurricane prices are expected to jump 20 to 30 percent. Still hard to tell as they still have incomplete damage assessments.

Once it climbs above 3 percent (PNI) that is where they say you will start to see signs of a developing recession. If it climbs to 4 or 5 percent, you will see the economy start to tank.
Keep your fingers crossed.

Davekc

 

[greg334]

Riverrat, I am truly sorry if I insulted you or anyone else. That was not the intention.

I am sorry that I did not make the distinction between anyone can do this job and the profession of expediting. The actual job of taking freight from one location to another does not require skill, knowledge or for that matter brains, I known this for a long time by hiring people to work as medical couriers. As much as it may insult some, that is a fact.
On the other hand the professional expediter is the businessman, mechanic, bookkeeper, mediator, customer service rep, and a host of other things besides driving and takes everything that effects business seriously. I also include people who are contracted to fleet owners as professionals. I am one, as you and others who are part of this forum.

In the past few weeks I have met both professionals and people who just think this is a job which reinforces my statement and opinion about non-professionals. All the professionals have a great attitude, strong opinions and good experience that they share. On the other hand I have met drivers who just don’t give a damn; vans and trucks look like crap and just put fuel in and go. I strongly feel that this difference all leads to the difficulty of solidarity as a group simply because you will always have someone say ‘I’ll take it’. To make an effective stand, like a strike, you need everyone on board, not ten or twenty people, but a lot.

To answer your question, I think that it already is causing problems for John Q public but they don’t see it. Even at $5.00/gallon won’t make them think about unless we start telling people what we do and how we help them. By starting to meet your representatives, it may help with PR, which is another post.

Again, sorry to insult anyone.

 

[riverrat]

greg no offense take, I guess that I am getting frustrated at what is happining to the whole trucking industry, we all know its bad but I don't think people are looking at just how bad it is going to get. AS you know in our part of the industry things will slow down after the first of the year and thats when there will be a lot of people lose it. I have always been able to survive the slow times but I knoticed this year freight picked up later than usual and the cushion I have always had got depleted a lot more than usual because of it, along with the very high costs of doing business this year and the fact that I have not been able to build that cushion really has me worried. I know a lot of the people in this business and a lot of them are worse off than I am. I just cannot understand why people are will to go broke by just stand by and let the same people that created tis mess in the first place try to fix it, it just doesn't make sense. by next spring when fuel is 4 or 5 bucks a gallon people are going to say what happend,why didn't anyone do anything, well they had their chance and blew it because of apathy. Now it the time to do it a lot of people are ready and we have someone willing to stand up and lead and as a famour person once said if we don't hang together we will surely hang seperately has anyone even taken the trouble to check out truckerslobbyist.com to see what it is all about?? I would be will to bet no one has yet how can they form an opinion without all the facts.

 

[ms379pete]

----- 72 hr shutdown? THAT'S RIGHT!

>Hi I have been hearing on the radio at least a half a dozen
>times on the cb and then looked on the net and found two
>places that are talking about a 72 hr shutdown
>truckerslobbyist. com and madtrucker.com have both talked
>about it and with what I am hearing on the radio I am
>beginning to think that maybe something really is getting
>organized....

Good day my friends! My name is Laci (aka. ms379pete) and I am the site admin at MadTrucker.com as well as being owner of an 03 pete with my dear husband in which we haul produce to the Northeast US from Ontario. I am new here thanks to an invite I received from Simon Says (thanks) via email yesterday. I would like to invite everyone to read the posts on MadTrucker.com regarding the 72 hr shutdown and please feel free to voice your opinions too! The only thing I suggest is that you don't post the negative BS and try to look at the topic as the most positive thing that will happen to you this year! It's been quite the topic of discussion lately in many areas of the world and if I can do anything, please feel free to email me anytime at [email protected] Remember if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything! It's time drivers that we unite and take a stand. This is our livelyhood on the line here, no jokes about it! Either we step up to the plate and make people see how important we are in their everyday lives or we lose the battle. Can you just imagine how your life is going to be if we end up paying $5.00 / gallon for fuel? You know that is what they are prediciting, right? Now how many of you can pay that and still have money left over for food? and bills? I know I can't. Right now our fuel bill is damn near 50% of our GROSS! Get that -- 50% of what we GROSS goes to buy fuel! Now you take away all the other things and there ain't much left! Please get off your behind and get your legs in gear people, it's now or never! laci
Visit...
http://www.MadTrucker.com/
and...
http://www.truckerslobbyist.com/